Contents

Plot Summary

A security guard sits at his station. Suddenly, a flaming wheelchairs flashes by with a body riding it. The Fbi examine the body and discover that it is the body of Freddie Lounds. Specialist point that that Freddie was dead before she was set aflame and that a piece of her body is missing. Afterward, Margot tells Will that he is the father of her child. With a male heir, Margot had a chance to claim her inheritance after her brother dies. Will is angry first, but during a therapy session with Hannibal, he grows to accept his new role. He remembers Abigail and Hannibals admits that he was the one who had killed her. He apologizes to Will and tells him that if time could reverse, Abigail would be with Will. Soon after, Alana visits Will to voice her concern about his new relationship with Hannibal. Concerned for her safety, Will hands her Freddie's gun and tells her to train with it.

In Hannibal's office, Mason has a session with Hannibal. There, he begins spilling his narrasstic ideas and gloating about his control over his sister since he is the sole heir to his father's fortune. Hannibal interrupts to mention a loophole where Margot can inherit the fortune if she has a son.

After Freddie's Funeral, someone digs up her body and shapes it into the form of the Goddess Shiva. With the recent murder of Randall, the FBI assume that the two murders are related. Alana begins to question Will and believes that he may be the killer. In the Verger barn, Mason tells Margot that he plans to have a baby with her in order to continue the Verger line under his control. Soon after, Margot attempts to escape her brother's reach by running away. She is captured by Carlo when he broadsides her car. Margot is taken into a hospital where her brother pays to have her reproductive organs removed.

Meanwhile, Alana bursts into Jack's office where she tells him that everyone is lying to each other. She tells him that she suspects Hannibal and Will are serial killers. She then tells Jack that he is being played for a fool and that he should be doing something. Jack calms Alana and takes her into another room where Freddie sits calmly waiting. Alana understands that Jack, Freddie and Will are in on a conspiracy to catch Hannibal.

After learning about what what was done to Margot, Will drives to the Verger barn where he threatens Mason by holding him over his pig pen and by holding a gun to his head. Will realizes that Hannibal had manipulated Margot to want to have a son and for Mason to want to kill the son. Will then states that Hannibal should be thrown into the pig pen and leaves Mason unharmed.

Cast

Hugh Dancy as Will Graham

Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Caroline Dhavernas as Dr. Alana Bloom

Michael Pitt as Mason Verger

Katharine Isabelle as Margot Verger

Lara Jean Chorostecki as Freddie Lounds

Samuel Faraci as Franklin

Aaron Abrams as Brian Zeller

Ezio Bondi as Parking Attendant

Kalen Davidson as Stagman

Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford

Ray Kahnert as Minister

Daniel Kash as Carlo Deogracias

Scott Thompson as Jimmy Price

Trivia

The idea for scene where Will and Hannibal eating the songbird was inspired by Anthony Bourdain's article on ortolan bunting. During the writing of the script, executive producer Martha De Laurentiis had to remind Bryan Fuller that there a scene in the book Hannibal Rising where Will and Hannibal are eating a songbird. Bryan Fuller had said that he did not know about this because he did not memorize Hannibal Rising as well as he did for the Hannibal, Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs novels.

The songbird dish is prepared by drowning the bird in Armagnac and plucking its feathers. After roasting the bird, a person eats it whole. Since the bird is drowned in Armagnac, its lungs are filled with the hot alcohol, which is released when eaten. The sharp bones of the bird often cut the person's mouth and the person often tastes his or her blood when eating the bird. The result is the taste of hot alcohol mixed with the gamey insides of the bird.

In the novels, Freddie Lounds does die by being burned in a wheelchair. Bryan Fuller wanted to confuse his viewers who had read the books by portraying Freddie's death the way she had died in the books so that fans will actually think that she is dead.

In the novels, Margot is cut out of her father's will because she was a lesbian. As of this episode, this fact has not been brought up.

Bryan Fuller, in an interview with AV Club, had said that Jack Crawford had becom convinced that Hannibal was manipulating events behind the scenes as soon as Miriam Lass had shot Dr. Chilton in the face. Fuller explained that since Jack was an FBI agent, he had been keeping his suspicions under wraps as he observes the other characters. Quietly, Fuller explains, Jack had been the architect of the plan to catch Hannibal and he had been conspiring with Will Graham for a long time since Miriam had shot Chilton.

Quotes

Hannibal Lector: "Traditionally, during this meal, we are to place shrouds over our heads, hiding our faces from God. I don't hide from God."

Will Graham: "I haven’t been gorged, drowned, plucked and roasted. Not yet."

Hannibal Lector: "A boy’s illusions are no basis for a man’s life, Mason."

Hannibal Lector: "Will, should the universe contract, should time reverse and the teacup come together, a place could be made for Abigail in your world."

Mason Verger: "If we were truly considerate of a pig’s happiness, we wouldn’t eat them."

Hannibal Lector: "Are you questioning my therapy?"

Alana Bloom: "I’m questioning everything."

Mason Verger: "They’re going to find something wrong with your lady parts, Margo. Or so the record will state. The doctor will advise me that it’s best to take everything. The only person you’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day with … is me."

Mason Verger: "You must be the baby daddy. Excuse me if I don’t offer you a cigar."

Will Graham: "Dr. Lecter’s the one you want to be feeding to your pigs."